"Guilty," he says. His voice is unhurried. "Though I'd argue followed isn't quite right. More like — couldn't let her go alone."
"That's following," I say.
"That's devotion," he says. "There's a difference."
"Nice hat," Leo says.
"Thank you," James says.
"I wasn't being serious," Leo says.
"I know," James says. Still smiling.
Lumi crosses to me and takes my hands and holds me at arm's length. "You and your men look amazing," she says.
"Alexandra told me I look like a princess," I say.
"She has excellent taste," Lumi says.
Leo finds me between songs. He doesn’t ask. Just takes my hand and pulls me in, closer than Gray did, one hand settling at my waist like he’s always known where it goes.
“This feels fake,” I say.
“It is,” Leo says. “We’re late.”
I look at him.
“For this,” he says. “Normal people do this at sixteen. Bad music. Bad suits. Regret.” A beat. “We got other options.”
Juvie.
I don’t say it. I don’t need to.
We move slow. Not right. Not wrong. Just enough to count.
“You ever been to one,” I say.
He shakes his head. “Closest I got was a rec room with a broken speaker and a fight halfway through.”
“That tracks,” I say.
“Yeah,” he says.
A beat.
Then, quieter—
“This is better.”
I look at him.
He’s not watching the room. He’s looking at me.
“With you,” he adds, like it’s nothing.
“You’re doing okay,” I say.
“I’m doing great,” he says. “I’ve decided this is my origin story.”
